Congratulations on selecting NetSupport 24-7. In a few steps you will have available a unique set of online
tools to allow you to effortlessly interact with customers direct from
your company website.
Before you begin using NetSupport 24-7, this guide will provide you with
a very brief summary of the main features included in the product and advice on how best
to utilise the solution.
Topics covered in this guide
are:
Configuration - Add or Edit
Operators
Configuration - Customise your Chat setup
Configuration - Customise your Remote Control client
setup
Configuration -
Manage your company account details
Using
NetSupport 24-7 for the first time
Using the NetSupport 24-7 Operator Console
Using the dynamic Remote
Control
Reports
Registration and
Installation
The
first step towards using NetSupport 24-7, is to register for your free 14 day
trial of the solution. To do this complete the form, as shown below on the main
registration page. Basic contact details are required, and it should be noted
that these details will be used to create your default Operator ready for use in
NetSupport 24-7.
For this registration you are required to indicate which languages
your starting Operator is able to communicate in. When you add subsequent
Operators you will be able to add or amend the languages
selected.
If you have been provided with a
partner code, please enter this on the registration form. If the partner code
field is already completed, then please do not amend this value.
Once
you have submitted your registration an email will be sent to the addess
provided. On receipt of the email please respond to the message so that your
account can be validated. The screen below will be presented to validate your
email address :
Having supplied your registration code you will be
taken to the NetSupport 24-7 operator console screen.
Using NetSupport 24-7 for the first time
Your NetSupport 24-7
account is configured with default settings. In due course you can use the
configuration wizards detailed below in this guide to customise the
solution to your specific requirements. If you want to try NetSupport 24-7
first to gain an overview of the functionality then this section will
provide a brief step by step guide to using NetSupport 24-7 for the first
time.
To begin using NetSupport 24-7 you need to (a) have an Operator
available and (b) have a user request a chat session.
First, open the
"Operator Console" from the left hand menu to view current chat requests
and respond to selected items.
Next, for a customer to request a chat,
NetSupport 24-7 provides 3 easy options, these are
:
(1) Paste the NetSupport 24-7 chat script into
the body section of a webpage on your site. The script is provided at the
end of your initial registration process, or can be accessed at any time
by running the chat setup wizard and selecting finish. This code will add
a NetSupport 24-7 chat button to your site that can be used by customers
on an ongoing basis.
Or
(2) From the
Operator Console view select "link for Company Chat Page" from the main
lower options panel. This provides a sample web page containing the
NetSupport 24-7 chat button and avoids the need for you to add the
NetSupport 24-7 code into your own html pages while evaluating. You can simply
Copy and Paste this URL to send to other users, or simply link to this
page from your existing
website.
Or
(3) From the Operator Console
view, select "Email Chat Link" from the main lower options panel. This
creates an email ready to send to any selected recipient and automatically
contains the link required to start a chat session.
n.b in all of
the options above, should you wish for testing purposes, you can act
as both Operator and Customer on the same computer. This allows you to
review all of the chat features, however the Remote Control function will
not operate.
Configuration - Add / Edit Operators
By
default your NetSupport 24-7 account will start with a single Operator (Admin)
based on your initial registration details. NetSupport 24-7 allows any number of
Operator accounts to be defined, however depending on your subscription
level,
the number of concurrent
operators in use at any one time may be restricted.
Select "Manage
Operators" from the main Console menu on the left ( visible to Admin users
only).
The initial view will show the currently defined Operators. For
each Operator, their name, languages supported and group memberships are
indicated. In addition Operators can be assigned Admin status, which provides
access to all of the configuration menus not normally available to a standard
operator.
An existing Operator account can be
amended by selecting the "edit" button.
To create additional Operator
accounts, complete the standard form as detailed below, and identify which
languages and groups the Operator is assigned to.
N.b
in NetSupport 24-7 Operators can be
assigned to multiple groups such as ( Sales, Support, Admin and so on)
and can
be indentified as having a range of different language skills ( e.g.
French, English). When a customer starts a chat session, the groups and
languages presented to the customer for selection will reflect the
combined skills of the current online operators.
To
create additional chat groups, please see the Configuration - Customise your Chat setup section
of
this guide.
Currently NetSupport 24-7 provides
localisation of the customer facing screens for 26 different languages.
A
newly created Operator account will carry a status of "awaiting confirmation"
until the Operator has replied to the automatically generated email validation
message.
Configuration - Chat Setup
NetSupport 24-7 features a powerful, yet easy to use Chat facility
which is immediately available for use. The chat features does however offer almost total
customisation to suit your operational needs as well as providing a simple step
by step wizard to take you through this process.
Select "Chat
Setup" from the main Console menu on the left ( visible to Admin users
only).
Manage Chat Groups - NetSupport 24-7
Operators can be assigned as members of custom groups such as ( Sales, Support,
Admin and so on). When a customer initiates a chat session a list of groups
is presented to the customer for selection. Once selected, the new chat alert
is then sent to all active Operators that are members of the selected
group.
New groups are be added simply by entering the new group name required at the
base of the form and clicking on the "ADD" button. This group is now available to be assigned
against your Operator accounts.
Message Lists -
These
are a list of
pre-defined messages that can quickly and easily sent by the operator to your
customer during a chat session. These pre-defined or "canned" messages are added
by entering both a friendly name (the short name displayed in the Operator
console), and the full text message you wish to store. By default NetSupport 24-7 includes a few example messages.
Typical
Pre-defined
messages could include items such
as " welcome to our site...."," thank you for visiting us..." and specific
information on appropriate products and services.
URL
Lists -
As with the
message lists,
you can also define a list of pre-defined
URL's. This list of URL's is displayed in the operators console and an operator
can send and open the URL in the customer’s web browser by simply clicking on
the desired URL in their list. (see "Push URL's" in the Operator console
section).
New URLs are added by entering the
URL required and a suitable friendly name for display within the Operator
console.
Chat
Start Page - For most companies the easiest method for implementing the
NetSupport 24-7 customer chat feature is to embed
the html code provided at the end of the registration
process ( or at the end of the Chat setup wizard) into their existing web pages.
However if this is not appropriate, NetSupport 24-7 also generates a unique chat
"launch" page that can be used to initiate customer chats.
Often this link will be
added to the footer of an email for example or included in a mail campaign.
This unique
Chat Start page can be customised to include your Company logo and a
personalised greeting or instructions for your customers.
Chat
Link Image
- A customer typically starts a chat session by clicking
on a Chat button on your website. As such, the choice of button is important to
make sure it achieves maximum visibility. From this menu option you are able to
chose from a selection of standard NetSupport 24-7 buttons or if required select
a button of your own design, using the "Custom images" option.
Note. NetSupport 24-7 uses two different buttons to indicate when
Operators are available and when the company is "out of hours".
Customise
Appearance - You have spent time on your website - choosing the correct
colours and selecting a logo that your customers recognise. You can now
customise the Chat dialog that your customers will see, to blend in with
your websites look and feel.
Below
are some examples:
Email
Configuration -
If
your customer tries to initiate a chat session, and there are no operators
available, your customer will be prompted to send an Email to the address
configured in this dialogue. In addition NetSupport 24-7 can also send a full
history of the chat session, immediately the chat is ended, to the History Email
address specified within this dialogue.
(Note: All completed Chat histories are also accessible
from the main reports section).
New
Chat Alerts
-
When a new Chat session
is started you can alert the logged on operators using a variety of methods from
Audio alerts, to Pop up and emailed messages. Any number of alert methods can be
selected from this dialogue.
Once all of the Chat settings have been
amended a copy of your html Chat Code is displayed for inclusion within your own
site web pages. Simply select the html code displayed and use Copy (Ctrl+C) to
copy the code ready to paste (Ctrl+V) into the body section of your pages.
Configuration - Remote Control Client
Setup
After
registration your NetSupport 24-7 account is automatically provided with a
standard on-demand remote control package. The remote control component includes
a large number of features and these can be customised to suit your business
requirements. In addition, by reducing the number of features enabled within
your Client setup you can also reduce the size of your on-demand client package
( size ranges from 420 Kb > 606kb depending on features included.)
The
Client setup
wizard
will guide you through the process of setting up your configuration of the
NetSupport 24-7 Client. Once this configuration is completed the revised client
installation package will be created and made available for future Remote
Control sessions.
Select
"Client Setup" from the main Console menu on the left ( visible to Admin users
only).
User Interview - When your
NetSupport 24-7 Client is launched and run on a customer PC it will prompt for
four pieces of information. These questions can be customised to suit your own
business requirements by amending this dialogue.
Customise Text
- While the on-demand client is in
operation on the customers PC, NetSupport 24-7 can be configured to provide a
range of visual indicators / messages to the customer to indicate activity or a
change in state. These messages can be configured to suit your
requirements.
Multi Connect - The
NetSupport 24-7 Client can be configured to support more than one simultaneous
operator connection. This can be useful if one operator needs the help of
another to resolve a particularly difficult problem.
Inventory - The
NetSupport 24-7 Client can be configured to allow scans of the hardware and
software inventory of the customer’s computer. This Inventory also includes
details (and control of) the current background Processes and Services running.
You can also optionally allow an operator to Close running applications and
start and stop Windows Services.
Note: If inventory is disabled
then
the inventory detection files are not included in the Client package, which will
reduce the size of the on-demand download by approximately 100kb.
Encryption
- NetSupport 24-7 can encrypt the
screen data that is sent between the Customer and Operator. This data can be
encrypted using a range of encryption algorithms from 64-bit DES encryption up
to Military standard 256bit AES encryption.
Disconnect
- When the operator disconnects
from a NetSupport 24-7 client it can be configured to log off, lock or restart.
Please set these options below if required.
Disable Features
- All of the key features of the
NetSupport 24-7 Client can be either enabled or disabled. By default they are
enabled, this dialogue allows you to select any features you wish to disable.
Connection Point
- The NetSupport 24-7 Remote Control
feature uses an indirect connection between the Customer and the Operator. This
connection is made possible by connecting to one of the regional NetSupport 24-7
Gateways.
The fastest responding Gateway is
automatically selected, however you can override this by selecting a gateway
from the list provided.
Configuration - Manage Company Account
This page shows the company profile
for your organisation. You can change your company details by editing any
of the values displayed and pressing the submit button. The bottom table shows a
high level summary of your usage information for the current month.
The
manage company account screen is also used to review and where appropriate amend
your current subscription details.
The
Operator Console
The
Operator console is used by any NetSupport 24-7 operator to both monitor and
manage incoming Chat requests as well as access and review reports and system
configuration. It should be noted at this stage that the first time the product
is used by an Operator they will be prompted to install the Operator Remote
Control software. This is a one time installation ( per PC) that adds the
necessary technology needed for a NetSupport 24-7 Operator.
The Operator Console is separated into three key areas, to
the left is the System Menu. The base of the sytem menu lists current active
Operators, within their respective groups ( n.b an Operator can be a member of
more than 1 group). At any time an Operator can select another Operator from
this list and send them a message.
The main
screen region is separated into an upper and lower region. The upper region
lists all new and active chat requests received by the company. For an inactive
Operator the lower part of the screen shows a basic system summary. Once a chat
request has been selected by the Operator however, the low part of the screen
becomes the active 1:1 chat session.
The divider between the upper and lower parts of the screen can be moved,
and its position will be remembered for future use.
Active Chat
Session
During an Active Chat session the 1:1 Chat window is
constructed of a main feature Toolbar running across the top of the window, the
left hand side of the window contains the active chat history, with the chat
input box directly below.To communicate with the customer simply enter your
message into the "send message box" and either press "Enter" or click on the
"Send" button.
To the right of the chat
history the Operator is presented with a thumbnail view of the Customers PC (
this is only operational if the Remote Control client has been launched). Below
the Thumbnail view are three expandable menus, conatining both the "Canned
Messages" and "URL links" defined earlier in the Chat setup section and key
"system information" automatically gathered from the customer's PC at the start
of the chat. Additional information in this section will be populated once the
Remote Control client has been launched. Each of these three menus can be either
opened or closed by clicking on either the arrow indicator or menu
icon.
At
this time the Operator is also able to push a one off URL by selecting the "Canned URLs" from the main toolbar, the Operator will be prompted to enter the URL
required and submit, this will then be automatically opened on the customer's
desktop.
When the Operator console is
not in use a small "chat checker" window will run in the lower right hand corner
of your screen, this will check for new chat requests and if detected
auctomatically open your Operator console. In addition a desktop application is
available for download from the utilities page.
Using Remote
Control 
During the chat session it
may be decided that Remote control is required to either aid in a problem
resolution or to be used as part of a product presentation. To launch the Remote
Control client on the customers PC the operator selects the "Send Remote
Control" button from the main toolbar. This transmits the package to the
customer who is prompted to agree the dynamic install of the package. Based on
the Operating System and security configuration of the customers PC, they may be
required to accept 1 or more security warnings at this time.
Once the
Remote Control Client is Active, the Customer will be prompted to complete the
standard client questions presented to them ( created in step one of the Client
Setup wizard). This information is immediately available from the Operator
system information panel at the lower right of the console.
The
Operator Thumbnail view will now display a 260 x 200 pixel active view of the
customers PC and the update interval can be customised from 5 to 20
seconds.
The Operator Toolbar now provides three newly accesible options,
View PC, File Transfer and Inventory. Each of these are launched by selecting
the appropriate menu item.
View PC
- The NetSupport 24-7 View window provides a powerful range of Remote Control
features. The Operator can adjust the color depth of the screen information
being transmitted from the Customers PC, this will normally impact on the speed
of remote Control, the customers desktop can be scaled to fit on the Operators
Screen, or the Operator can switch to full screen mode. From this View the
Operator can also :-
> Send 1:1 messages direct to the Customer PC
> Remotely launch
(Execute) Applications on the target PC from a command line.
> Transfer data between the local and remote clipboards of
the Operator and Customers PCs.
> Capture a Screen Shot of the Customer's
PC
> Use a range of
annotation tools to highlight information on the customer's
screen.
All of the Remote Control features provided are
accessible from the main view window toolbar.
The
Optimize menu allows you to configure the color palette used for
transmitting screen information from the customers PC. As a general rule,
the lower the number of colours sent, the faster the resulting screen
performance will be.
File Transfer - This provides the operator with a
complete file management suite for editing and
transferring files and folder and directory synchronisation between the Operator and Customers
PC.
Inventory - Selecting this option will prompt the on-demand
client to perform a detailed scan of both the Hardware and Sofware
on the customers PC. This is far more detailed than a typical inventory
analysis and extends to include details of hotfixes and service
packs installed, Applications currently running in memory and the ability
to both view, and control Processes and Services on the customers PC. This
information can be printed out or saved to file for future reference.
At any point the Operator can leave an active chat
session by selecting the "leave Chat" button, this closes the Operators view of
the chat session but leaves the session active. Typically this can be used when multiple
Operators have been involved in a chat.
When a chat session is completed selecting "Exit Chat" whill permanently
close the chat session, and will both close the chat on the customers PC and
also automatically unload and remove the NetSupport 24-7 remote control
client.
The Chat window on the Customers PC will then present
the exit feedback survey.
A
range of reports are provided to deliver a full and detailed summary of call
activity for any given period, analysed by Operator, Feedback, Call group or
langauge. A summary of report types is shown below.
Each
report provides a graphical summary identifying call volume by Operator
for the selected reporting period and average feedback
rating. 
A detailed summary is provided below the
chart summaries, identifying the key details for each call recorded,
including Start and End time for each chat, the total duration of the
call, Customer name and feedback rating if provided. For any selected chat
history, selecting the "view log
" link will open a full chat history for the selected record.